MARGAO
Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes on Monday assured a delegation of freedom fighters that the statue of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia is in the safe custody of the contractor after it was dismantled from the Lohia Maidan to pave way for the execution of the beautification work.
To allay apprehensions of the freedom fighters and to cap the row over the statue, the Chief Officer has fixed an inspection of the statue on Tuesday morning along with a delegation of the freedom fighters.
The delegation of the Lohia Maidan freedom fighter committee led by Avinash Shirodkar demanded that the civic body directs the contractor to complete the beautification works by Goa Liberation Day or else threatened to stage a Satyagraha if the work remains incomplete by December 19.
The Chief Officer explained to the delegation of freedom fighters that his information suggests that the statue of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia is in the safe custody of the contractor engaged by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).
Saying the statue was dismantled by the contractor to carry out the beautification works at the historic place, the Chief Officer said the statue was wrapped and kept at the Maidan by the contractor before transportation. “The statue must have remained at the Maidan for some days as the contractor was waiting for the transport and machinery to lift the statue to a safe place,” the Chief Officer said, adding that the contractor had submitted letters to the civic body to carry out the work of shifting the statue.
“The statue will be cleaned and polished by the contractor when it is in his safe custody. To clear doubts and suspicion, we can have an inspection of the statue on Tuesday,” the Chief Officer said.
President of Lohia Maidan Freedom Fighters Committee Avinash Shirodkar expressed concern over reports that Lohia’s statue was abandoned at the maidan, saying the civic body should have taken the freedom fighters into confidence before dismantling the statue.
He took on the contractor saying that work on the project has been progressing at a slow pace, as he demanded that the project should be complete in all respects by Goa Liberation Day. “We will be forced to resort to a Satyagraha if the work is not completed by Liberation Day,” he said.
The Chief Officer has promised to convey the sentiments of the freedom fighters to GSUDA which is executing the Lohia Maida beautification works.
